Closure for containers.



H. N. NORTON.

GLOSURE FOR GONTAINERS. f

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 190s.

937,847, Patented oct. 26, 1909.l

HORTIO N. NORTON, or MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK.

oLO'sURE FOR CONTAINERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

vlateinted Qct. 26,

Application ledJ'anuary 30, 1908. Serial No. 413,439.`

To all 'whom it may concern.:A v

Be it known that I, HORATIO N. NORTON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Mount Vernon, in the county-of IVestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Closures for Containers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to closures for containers, with particular reference to closures which may not only be easily and vreadily applied to containers of either glass or metal and provide an air-tight seal, but which may be quickly removed without the employment of any form of tool or implement when it is desired to have access to the contents of the package.

The present invention does not so much contemplate any radical departure from the general principles involved in .a form of closure which has for some time been known and used, but has in view, first, the assembling of themeinbers of a two-part closure which have heretofore been made, sold and ap lied individually, in such manner that thetwo parts are self-secured together to faciditate handling, packing, delivery and application as single articles of manufacture; and, second, to still further improve upon one of the parts of such closure; as hereinafter described.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference tothe accompanying g drawings, forming part of this specification,

in Which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the two' parts of a closure embodying my invention,-

when assembled; Figs. 2 and .3 are similar views of the two parts shown separately;

Fig. 4 is a central section of the closure as applied to a glass containing vessel, and

Fig. 5 is a central sectional elevation of the,` closure as applied to a sheet metal container,

commonly known as a tin can, I

rIlie glass bottles or jars to which my closure is adapted to be applied (the neck 11 of such vessel being shown in Fig. L1) areeach .provided with an annular rim at its mouth which forms the shoulder 12. Fitting over the mouth of the bottle is the ordinary slipcover 13 with the depending flange 14 the lower edge of 'which terminates short of the shoulder 12 in the neckof the bottle. major middle portion 15 of said slip cover 'is preferably depressed to form an annular seat or socket for the reception of a packing v Thering 16, which may be of rubber, pulp-board or other suitable material.

Surrounding the covered mouth of the vessel is the binding-strap 17, in the form of an open ring with butting ends, one thereof being provided with an overlapping tongue 18. rlhis binding-strap 17 -is nterierly flanged at both upper and lower edges, the u'pper flange 19 being preferably straight, while the lower Harige 20 isinwardly and upwardly curved, as is clearly' shown -in Figs. 4 and 5. The flanging operation tends to yieldingly retain this binding'strap in its annular form, and the ends thereof may easily be sprung apart for the insertion within-the ring of the slip cover 13 or for applying the strap to the mouthof the vessel. l

It will be apparent that after both parts of my closure have been' appliedv to the mouth ofthe vessel,- the flanges of the binding strap 17 maybe simultaneously subjected to the operation of spinning rolls, and the ledge of the slip cover 13 firmly and ltightly clamped against the upperv face or edge of the mouth of the vessel, .the packing ring`16 serving to provide an hermetic seal.

lVhen considered in connection with the container to which itis applied, an important feature of my invention is the curvature :which I have given tothe lower fiange 2O of the binding strap. It will be noticed that l"with this construction only the edge of this iiange comes in contact with shoulder 12 with which the container is provided. It is well known rthat where this flange is straight, and li'es closely against said shoulder, it not infrequently happens that withv a glass or brittle vessel during the spinning operation referred to the pressure exerted by the spinningi'olls, with nothing between said rolls and said shoulder except a single layer of thin metal, will break or crack the material at the mouth of the container and render the same unfit for use. However, by curving the lower flange 20in the manner shown, I first augment both the rigidity and the resiliency of said flange, due to its semi-cylindrical configuration, and, second, interpose between vthe spinning roll an'd the shoulder not only a yielding body which takes up and dissipates destructive strains, but a resilient body which, under the forces which tend to restore' its normal configuration, re-act through thel upper' fiange 19 to more rmly clamp the slip cover 13 .in place.

It is well known that in' order torendex available the elastic forces of metal to be Iformed, the exact shape desired must be eX- aggerated-that is to say, the metal must be bent or curved beyond the desired point-in order that it may have a tendency to return to the shape desired and through such tend ency generate forces. It will therefore be apparent that with a ,flat lower flange, already snugly embracing the shoulder of the container, no such forces as those described could be created and any attemptto create them would almost invariably result in the fracture of the glass or otherbrittle substance of which the container is made. It will be seen, however, that with the eX- treme edge only ofl my curved flange in contact lwith said shoulder, the change in configuration of said flange by the spinning roll may be carried beyond the desired point, whereupon the elasticity of the metal will provide the clamping 'forces liereinbefore referred to. The same is undoubtedly true with the application of my invention to a sheet metal container, as shown in Fig. 5, although in this case there `is no danger of fracturing the container. The configuration of my lower flange, however, through the reacting forces generated- .by the spinning 0peration, gives me a better and a more permanent seal and tends to hold the closure more rigidly and firmly'in place.

.Not second in importance to the feature of my invention already described, is the manner Iprovide for assembling the two parts of my closure and holding the same together as one member for purposes of handling, packing, delivery and application. Heretofore, with closures of this character, it has been the practice, so far as I know, to leave one edge of the binding-strap unflanged, this edge being flanged after the closure has been applied to the container, both flanging and sealing being effected through the spinning operation. These closures are frequently demanded as separate articlesof manufacture. Packers 'who secure their container from o ne source-as, for instance, when glass bottles or jars are employed-soinetimes have to procure their containers from one source and their closures from another, and it has been found to be exceedingly inconvenient to havethe slip-covers delivered in one lot and the binding-straps in another, necessitating the assembling of these parts by the workmen who are applying the sameto the containers and lcompleting the closure.

By flanging both edges of the binding strap in the first instance, the slip cover-13 may be readily placed within the flanged ring by springing the batting ends thereof slightly apart, whereupon the resiliency of the metal will again close said ring and for the purposes mentioned 4will retain the slip,- cover thereinl with these two parts assembled in this manner, all that the wordteener,

nien who eompletethe closure have to dois to spring the binding-strap over the mouth of the bottle and thereby simultaneously slip the cover in place, whereupon the covered vessel is subjected to the action of the spinning rolls and the seal completed'. v

It will be seen that the bindingistrap l is held in place by the rigidity given to the metal of which the strap is formed, through the effect of the spinning operation upon the flanges. This rigidity has been found to be sufficient to insure an hermetic seal under all ordinary conditions. The forces due to this rigidity however, are4 not suflicient to withstand a positive lateral pull upon one of the open ends of the ring which, when started, is easily stripped frein the mouth of the container, permitting of the ready removal of the slip cover. -llor the purposes of facilitating this operation to removal, I pre. vide the tongue 18, as described, which may be readily bent away from the side of the strap to provide a handle which maybe grasped in the fingers and subjected to a force which will easily overcome the rigidity with which the strap is retained in its annular shape and its grip upon the covered container.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent.

' l. A closure for containers comprising a slip-cover adapted to' lit over the mouth of the container, and a binding strap of resilient metal peripherally surrounding said slip cover, both edges of said binding-strap being flanged to provide jaws, the upper engaging the top edge of said cover. and the lower to yengage a shoulder on the container and said flanges serving to clamp said cover in place, and said lower fiange being upwardly directed to present lthe extreme edge thereof only to said shoulder.

2. The combination, with a container having an exterior downwardly-directed shtmlder near its mouth, of a slip-cover adapted to lit over the mouth of the con inici', a packing-ring interposed vbetween said cover and said mouth, and a binding-strap of reslip-cover, both edges of said binding-strap 'silieiit metal peripherally surrounding said.

being flanged to provide jaws, the upper engaging the top edge of said cover and the lower engaging'said shoulder en the container and clamping said paclringering loetween said cover and said mouth, and said l lower flange being upwardly curved to present the extreme edge thereof only to said shoulder.

3. A closure for containers comprising a slip-cover adapted to fit over the mouth of the container, the top of said cover heing centrally depressed to provide a seat for gasket, a, gasket in said seat, and a. binding strap resilient metal peripherally sirnreunding said slip-cover, hhth edges of said binding-strap being fianged to provide jaws, In testimony of the foregoing I have herethe upper engaging the top edge of said unto set my hand this 29th day of January, 10 cgver and the loverlto engage adshouierlon 1908. l t e containeran c am i110' sai as et e- 5 tween said cover and sidbmouthgand said HORATIO N' NORTON' lower ange being circular-cyiindieally Witnesses: Icurved to present the extreme edge thereof FREQM. ASSMANN,

only to said shoulder. f v P. F. SONNEK. 

